Reno fire likely caused by power line arcing, some residents see what is left of their homes

Madeleine Perry, left, and her mother Karen Reuter comfort each other as they look over the remains of Karen's mother's burned home in Reno, Nev., Nov. 19. Nevada's governor declared a state of emergency on Friday over a wildfire raging at the edge of a hilly Reno suburb that has damaged 32 structures, forced nearly 10,000 people from their homes, burned 2,000 acres and was blamed for an elderly man's death.

According to msnbc.com staff and news service reports:

The wind grounded firefighting helicopters and made it difficult for firefighters to approach Caughlin Ranch, the affluent subdivision bordering pine-forested hills where the fire likely began after 12:30 a.m. It also helped the fire spread from 400 acres to more than 3 square miles.

The gusts were comparable to the Santa Ana winds that often aggravate and spread wildfires in the hills surrounding Los Angeles, officials said.

"The wind is horrific," said Reno spokeswoman Michele Anderson. "We just watched a semi nearly blow over on the freeway."